Founded in 1869, Dover has managed to preserve its history and expand its cultural offerings well into the 21st century. Once the site of iron mines and mills, Dover experienced a boom in the late 18th and early 19th centuries with the Morris Canal. Designed to transport Pennsylvania coal to New York City, the canal brought shops, churches, hotels and theatres to the area. The arrival of the Morris and Essex Railroad also stimulated growth. Opened in 1906, the Baker Theater once hosted the likes of Harry Houdini and comedian Loui Costello. Today, it joins other century-old buildings in Downtown Dover that house Peruvian, Colombian and Guatemalan restaurants. The Dover train station is another reminder of Dover's history, with daily NJ Transit service to New York City, 40 miles east.
Immigrants from countries like Puerto Rico and Colombia came to Dover to find work in the town’s factories and mines. In the ’40s and ’50s, local and federal officials actively recruited Hispanic immigrants. Today, 70% of Dover’s population is Hispanic. “Diversity is huge in Dover,” says 17-year veteran Realtor Celeste Araujo with Keller Williams Realty Metropolitan. “Spanish-speaking people love it here because they see and hear their own culture in the stores, shops and churches. My husband was an immigrant from Spain who opened a restaurant in New York City. His dream is the same as many immigrants who live in Dover and commute to New York.”
As a Spanish speaker, Araujo is passionate about helping homebuyers who want to settle in Dover. “It’s a great city with old-world charm and walkability.”
Once the site of iron mines and mills, Dover has managed to preserve its history while expanding its cultural offerings well into the 21st century.
Opened in 1906, the Baker Theatre joins other century-old buildings in downtown Dover that house Peruvian, Colombian and Guatemalan restaurants.
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Early 20th-century homes on sidewalk-lined streets
The median home price in Dover is $460,000, which is more than 10% higher than the national median price. Prospective buyers will find colonial-style houses from the 1920s with pocket doors and original moldings, 1930s multi-family homes with finished attics and walk-out basements, and midcentury ranch-style and bi-level homes with private backyards, decks and patios. Lot sizes are relatively compact closer to downtown, but they can reach over half an acre farther away from Blackwell Street. Sidewalks contribute to walkability, and many residents live just a few minutes away from public parks and hiking areas.
“The housing market can be difficult for buyers in Dover,” Araujo says. “It’s a sellers’ market, and any one house can have 30 offers. I’ve had them sell for $100,000 over the asking price. Homes in Dover are not perfect, but they have that old-world charm. They just need some love. Walls and foundations are solid, and room sizes are substantial.”
Prospective buyers to Dover will find colonial-style houses that date back to the 1920s.
A ranch style house in Dover where the median home price is $460,000.
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From hiking trails to book clubs and community theatre
Mountain Park in the southeastern part of town is known for its rugged Richard’s Trail to Moller’s Rock Lookout, which offers a sweeping view of Downtown Dover. Hedden Park is a popular destination for dog walking and fishing, and Crescent Field — typically used for soccer practice — hosts an Easter Egg Hunt every spring. Kids can also practice their soccer moves at Waterworks Park, which has a popular playground. At Hurd Park, visitors will find memorials to soldiers lost in the Civil War, the Spanish American War and World War I. The park also features a walk along Jackson Brook to Hedden Park.
The Dover Free Public Library is another popular source of recreation for residents. It holds a movie night on the last Monday of every month. The Chess Club meets every Monday, the Lego Club meets every Tuesday, and bilingual story time takes place on Fridays. The library also hosts book clubs, lectures, craft and game days, and special events, such as Coffee with a Cop, which introduces community members to law enforcement officers. “We get a lot of regulars into the library that come in on foot. Dover is a big walking community,” says Jessica Lordi, who works as a library associate. “Dover is largely bilingual. It’s just as common to hear Spanish as it is English in the grocery store aisles.”
Dover Little Theatre, managed by a network of volunteers, hosts dramatic and comedy performances, cabaret nights and children’s productions. The Kubert School downtown is one of the few schools in the U.S. that teach cartoon and graphic art.
Dover's recreational areas, such as Mountain and Hedden Parks, offer great opportunities for hiking.
The Dover Free Public Library is popular with residents and holds a movie night on the last Monday of every month.
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International cuisines on McFarlan and Blackwell streets
Most of Dover’s restaurants are concentrated on or around Blackwell and McFarlan streets. Quiet Man Pub is a community staple that has been run by the same family since 1979. Sabor Latino a few blocks away is also family-owned and features traditional Columbian food. Charlotte’s Web has a menu of Italian dishes, and La Bamba Grill serves Mexican breakfasts, tacos and rich seafood soups. Dover offers several markets downtown, including Familia Grocery Store and Extra Supermarket. Outside downtown, shoppers will find larger chains like ShopRite and Weis Markets.
Rockaway Townsquare and its adjoining shopping centers are the place to find big-box retailers like Walmart and Target and department stores like Macy’s and Lord and Taylor. There’s also a Costco and a Home Depot nearby.
Nearby to Dover is the Rockaway Townsquare which features stores like department stores like Macy’s and Lord and Taylor.
Quiet Man Pub in Dover is a community staple that has been run by the same family since 1979.
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Falling crime numbers and Dover weather
Violent and property crimes in Dover have been on a downward trend for the last six years of reporting, according to New Jersey State Police Uniform Crime Reporting data. Crimes declined by 46% during this time, with a spike and subsequent drop over the last two years of reporting. FBI crime data reflects the same trends.
Dover has a humid tropical climate with an average wintery low of 19 degrees and an average summer high of 85 degrees. The average yearly rainfall is 50 inches, nearly 25% more than the rest of the country. The town’s annual snowfall is nine inches.
Dover public schools built for bilingual students
The Dover Public School District receives an overall C-plus from Niche. More than 3,000 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade attend the five Dover Public Schools, which include East Dover Elementary, North Dover Elementary, Academy Street Elementary, Dover Middle and Dover High. The high school’s student body speaks over 25 languages, including over 10 Spanish dialects. The nearest college is County College of Morris, which has a student population of nearly 6,000 undergraduates, offering instruction in everything from animation to engineering science.
East Dover Elementary School has a score of C+ on Niche.
Dover High School inspires and educates over 1000 students each year.
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Commuter rail to New York City and other resources
Dover’s train station, constructed in 1901, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It is the last stop using electric trains on NJ Transit’s Morristown and Montclair-Boonton Lines with service to Hoboken and New York’s Penn Station. Lakeland Bus Lines also provides regular service to New York and points in between. “Everyone doesn’t have transportation,” Araujo says, “especially people new to the country. The commuter rail and bus service give them a way to secure a higher paying job in the city.”
NJ Transit buses serve the city. Route 46 crosses Dover, and Interstate 80 and Route 10 come within a mile. Each of these roads goes east into Newark, 28 miles away, and New York City, 40 miles away. Newark Liberty International Airport is the closest airport, a 35-mile trip. St. Clare’s Dover Hospital features 24/7 emergency care, surgical services and behavioral health services.
Events
A 90-unit luxury apartment building called CrownPoint is under construction at 80 East McFarlan Street with a completion date of late 2025. The apartments will feature a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units and include a rooftop deck, a fitness center and covered parking. The new six-story building will be five blocks from downtown and Blackwell Street. Another five-story, 260-unit apartment building at the intersection of East Blackwell and Salem streets near the Rockaway River is slated for development soon. The multi-family complex includes one-bedroom apartments, a tenant lounge and gym, and outdoor patios with barbecue grills.
The Dover 4th of July Celebration is a free event open to the entire town.
Children love the giant slide at the Randolph Freedom Festival.
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